The renovations of the Great Hall and Fun Club at KIMEP University are facing delays, leaving many students and campus organizations concerned about when they will be able to use the facilities.
The renovations, which began with initial architectural planning in early 2023, would revitalize the historical building, originally built in 1956. The project was expected to be completed by fall 2024, but complications have arisen that have pushed back timelines to fall 2025, said Dr. Timothy Barnett, the university’s Provost and General Deputy to the President.
“Our hope had been that we could open the Great Hall and Fun Club this fall,” Barnett said. “However, upon starting the demolition, we discovered significant structural issues that needed to be addressed.”
Barnett detailed the challenges faced, noting that the initial architectural firm failed to provide necessary engineering certificates required for renovations on a historical building.
“We ended our relationship with them and hired a new firm with the correct licensing,” he said. However, once work began, structural integrity concerns arose, prompting the hiring of an engineer who deemed the building unsafe.
“The building’s mortar was compromised, and we were advised to install rebar for stabilization,” he added.
KIMEP has already spent about 120 million tenge on architectural and engineering services and plans to spend up to 1 billion tenge on the entire project. The university is now working to obtain permissions from the Historical Society, a governmental body responsible for overseeing alterations to historical structures.
“The expectation is to have all of the engineering work and permissions completed by the end of December,” Barnett said. Afterward, the university will seek bids for construction in January.
There are some student organizations who are impacted by the delays of renovations. Specifically: Art Revolution, KADA, KISA, KFI, KIMEP Geeks and KIMEP Times, also Residence Hall, which annually organizes New Year parties for dormitory students at the Fun Club.
“Geek’o’ween was our core event that always took place at the Fun Club, and we can not organize it as we used to two years ago,” said Tair Mergaliyev, ex-head of the entertainment department of KIMEP Geeks. He also said that he is upset that one of his favorite events won’t take place due to construction problems.
Art Revolution is one of the organizations which is impacted the most because the rehearsal studio was at the Dostyk Building, fourth floor, now musicians rehearse in one of the halls at the Executive Center.
“It is not as comfortable as it used to be, but we know it is temporary” said head of Musical department of Art Revolution Shahriyokhoja Khojaev “We have all the instruments and equipment provided by KIMEP so we can handle this long lasting renovation.”
KISA and KFI decided not to comment on the situation.
KISA and KFI annually hold one of the largest events on campus, Mister KIMEP and Miss KIMEP. The events will most likely move off campus.
KIMEP Times, whose office was on the fourth floor of the Dostyk building also declined to comment. Now KIMEP Times office is at the Executive center, near the Residence Hall.
“The Fun Club was the only place where you could hold a good event,” said Miras Aibekov, fourth-year student from Residence Hall. “The Great Hall was the only venue for performances like ShowTalents and for preparing for Nauryz celebrations.”
The renovations are not only cosmetic but include significant upgrades to safety features.
“We plan to install new seating, a new stage, and modern sound and lighting equipment,” Barnett said. The estimated budget for the overall project is approximately 960 million tenge.
“We understand how critical these spaces are for our student body,” Barnett said. “We’re committed to ensuring that the renovations are not only safe but also meet the needs of our students.”